A three- or four-night stay during the aurora season (September to the beginning of April) practically guarantees a sighting. Other adventures to try while you're in the country include whale watching, ice fishing, and dog-sledding. Guests can choose from cold room suites (with temperatures that range from 23 degrees Fahrenheit to about 17 degrees Fahrenheit) and warm rooms, with the Ice Room even hosting a bed made of ice. Need proof? Polar bears have planted the Manitoba town of Churchill on the tourist map—it’s the easiest place to access that guarantees sightings. Book a room at Sumburgh Head, a restored Shetland lighthouse overlooking a puffin nesting area on the Atlantic, or venture to the Isle of Lewis to see the display above an ancient man-made wonder: the Callanish Standing Stones, a circular formation of rocks thought to have been erected 5,000 years ago. In addition to glass and wooden igloos, options also include a nearly century-old traditional log house with its own sauna. Iceland. The tour company Tromso Safari has numerous Northern Lights excursions, including one that features reindeer sledding with a Sami guide (the Sami are the indigenous people of the north), as well as a cruise, where you'll sail out into the sea for maximum light-free viewing. With minimal light pollution and near-perfect visibility in some places, Greenland provides exceptional odds for viewing milky-green lights. … Even without the northern lights, Iceland is an otherworldly place to visit, with glaciers, … Book a learning vacation at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre to study astronomy and northern lights photography. Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to view the northern lights as it's located directly under the Auroral Oval. And follow your night out in the cold with a day of pampering (dry-brush massage, aromatherapy session) at the Northern Lights Resort and Spa in Whitehorse. Tune in to the hotel's webcam on any given evening for a live stream of the sky filled with shades of vibrant green, pink, and purple. This natural phenomenon occurs when electrically charged particles from solar winds collide with gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and the Earth's magnetic fields, creating a celestial spectacle. Kiruna, in Swedish Lapland, known for its super clear skies, is one of the country's most popular Northern Lights viewing spots. If you buy something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Why trust us? Located in the countryside, the hotel experiences minimal light pollution, making for optimal viewing conditions during the season (August through the first days of May). The northern lights make an appearance … Depending on cloud conditions, light pollution, and the night’s auroral activity, you could spend hours watching the neon shades of green and yellow. Tromsø is Northern Norway’s largest city and is situated in the middle of the auroral oval, the area noted for having the highest probability of seeing the lights. Hotel Rangá, in southern Iceland, offers a bevy of cold-weather activities, from whale-watching and dog sledding to glacier tours and freshwater fishing, but its trademark is the northern lights. It's not possible to predict exactly when the Northern Lights will appear, but the most frequent occurrences take place from mid-August to mid-April. The phenomenon is most frequently seen between 11:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m., but the early-to-bed crowd need not worry. Fairbanks lies directly beneath a band of aurora activity, meaning from August to the end of April, the town regularly experiences a celestial display of green, yellow, and purple. The city is commonly referred to as “The Gateway to the Arctic” and offers visitors a wide variety of tours to choose from during late August through early April. Some tours even combine light viewings with dips in secret geothermal lagoons and meals in countryside restaurants, all for under $160. Located 900 meters above sea level, the station experiences little light or noise pollution—optimal conditions for viewing the light show. Adventure Vacations for Unforgettable Fun, The Coolest Places in Europe to Plan a Trip, This Is Where You Can Spot the Southern Lights, Best Places in the US to See Cherry Blossoms, These Are the Best Places to Visit in Asia. First and foremost is Svalbard, a string of Arctic islands, midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. At Finland’s Kakslauttanen Resort, you don’t even need to get out of bed to catch the northern lights. Finland. For the most up-to-date information, check the Space Weather Prediction Center, which offers forecasts based on real-time solar wind data. Courtesy of Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks, Courtesy of Hotel and Igloo Village Kakslauttanen, Courtesy of Wolfgang Bublitz/Northern Lights Resort & SPA, Courtesy of Potter County Visitors Association. These elusive "dancing lights" can appear not only in the familiar greenish hue, but also in swirls of blue, purple, red, and orange (or a combination of several colors), and they can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Guests staying the hotel’s rooms can request to receive a phone call or door knock when the aurora is spotted in the sky. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Work-From-Home-Friendly Hotels to Visit ASAP, Surreal Places You Wouldn’t Think Are in the US, 15 Road Trip Essentials You Won’t Want to Forget, Keep Your Devices Dry With a Waterproof Phone Case, We Found the Most Beautiful Places in the World, The Travel Pillow That Also Works for Meditation, These Are the Most Beautiful Cities in the World, These Are the Most Beautiful Islands in the World, These 15 Beach Towns Offer Simple Summer Fun, Jill is the former travel editor at BestProducts.com, showing her expertise on everything from the. The best places in the world are usually closer to the Arctic Circle, including Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. While you can rent a car to see them on your own, the dark and often icy roads can make it dangerous, so many opt for a bus tour, where you can leave the driving to someone else. There are various lodges in which to see them and you can even take a tour to try and catch them while soaking in mineral-rich hot springs, such as Chena Hot Springs. They can be seen across the U.K. in the autumn and winter months (and as far south as England’s Kent and East Anglia). From August to mid-April, the northern lights swirl across the sky above Canada’s Yukon Territory. The lights, which are caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, make for a dazzling natural display and can be experienced in a variety of locations across the globe. Swaddle Yourself in These Cozy Weighted Blankets, 13 Dermaplaning Tools That Elevate Skin Treatments, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Yellowknife, in Canada's Northwest Territories, is home to Aurora Village, which is ground zero for Northern Lights viewing (it's a 10-mile drive from town). Or reserve a room at the NHA’s rolling sleeper-train Tundra Lodge for unparalleled proximity to bears in their natural habitat coupled with a chance to see the lights. If you prefer to let someone else do the planning, consider a tour operator with dedicated northern lights experiences. Guests can also plan an excursion to the nearby Aurora Sky Station in Abisko . Isolated from large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Cherry Springs State Park is committed to preserving its exceptionally dark sky. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. In Iceland, you can spot the Northern Lights just a few miles beyond the lights of Reykjavik. Learn about the science—and folklore—surrounding the colors at the Northern Lights Centre in Watson Lake. In Scotland, the lights go by a decidedly more British name: the Mirrie Dancers. Every year, artisans meticulously create the Icehotel structure anew, using ice harvested from the Torne River here in Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Tick this bucket-list attraction off your list! Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Closer to Reykjavik, the Ion Hotel’s Northern Lights Bar features dimmed lighting and wraparound windows, so guests can watch the aurora inside, with drinks in hand. Courtesy of Hotel and Igloo Village Kakslauttanen. But the best bet is to head for the northernmost parts of the Highlands or the Shetland Islands. Follow BestProducts.com on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest! In Iceland, you can spot the Northern Lights just a few miles beyond the lights of Reykjavik. Accommodation options for enjoying the natural display in Finland abound, from seaside glass villas and domes set right on a lakeside to a northern lights ranch complete with sky cabins hosting glass windows and roofs. Everything You Need to Know About the Elusive Southern Lights, From Mauna Kea to Death Valley, These Are the Best Places for Stargazing, Camping Fans Need to Know About These Amazing Solar Lanterns. These include fjord tours, whale-watching, and aurora-spotting tour or snowmobile adventures filled with hours of scenery. After dinner in the dining hall, you'll have access to your own teepee, where you can start your aurora borealis watch, or stake out a more secluded spot (snowshoeing and other activities are available). Intrigued? Join a three-hour snowcat safari or brave the cold on a snowmobile tour complete with a stop for warm drinks and biscuits. You can head just out of town for a chance to see them, or for something more adventurous, book a 4-hour, small-group snowmobile safari with Arctic Peak that'll take you through a scenic icy landscape. Explore the area and then head to Emma’s Restaurant to enjoy authentic dishes that range from reindeer stew to seafood selections. If this is the year you vow to see nature’s light show for yourself, set your sights on these destinations. There’s even a chance to see them in the continental U.S. at Pennsylvania’s Cherry Springs State Park, which is noted for its dark skies. The hotel offers various excursions that include a safari complete with coffee and guided walks in search of the phenomenon, snowmobile safaris in the wilderness, and nightly photography tours to catch the phenomenon in natural settings away from light pollution. Seeing the aurora borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, is high on many people's travel list. Fairbanks, home to the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska, which issues forecasts of aurora viewing conditions, is thought to be the best viewing spot in the U.S. The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. The resort’s adults-only Rock Lake offers the opportunity to enjoy a light show along with a soak. Rovaniemi is also home to Santa Claus Village, where you meet with Santa himself and visit his post office. In Churchill, Canada, you can watch the lights dance over a family of polar bears from the comfort of your mobile sleeper car.
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